Lighting system lamp-holder and wireway



Aug. 24, 1937. H. D'oLlE-R. JR

LIGHTING SYSTEM LAMP HOLDER AND WIREWAY Filed May 1, 1934 m. w n m Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING SYSTEM LAMP-HOLDER AND WIREWAY 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a lighting system lamp-holder and wireway with the supply wire insulated contacts within the wireway and the lamp-holder outside of the wireway and especial- 1y the means for connecting the lamp holder parts on one side of the wireway to the insulated contacts on the other side of the wireway.

The present method of manufacturing sockets, which lately have been called lamp-holders, is

to have the socket parts including the supply wire contacts self contained in unit assembly. This necessitates additional means for mechanically supporting the sockets and sometimes additional wiring when used for strip, channel and row reflectors, all wireway assemblies.

The wireway referred to herein is that class of wireway where the passage for wires is wholly or partly surrounded by metal protecting the wires from mechanical injury, as a raceway of conduit and conduit ttings, metal moulding (known to the trade as Wiremold and National Metal Moulding), channels, strips and row reilectors all of metal; the metal which forms the wireway is the support for this invention and has openings through which pass insulation and common means for electrically connecting and mechanically holding the lamp-holder of two parts, one part the insulated lamp contacts on one side of the metal support (outside the wireway) and the other part the separately insulated contacts for wires on the other side of the support (inside the wireway).

The object oi this invention is to make compact, low cost lamp holder parts and separate supply wire insulated contacts, which may easily be assembled to wireways (channel, strip or row reflectors) by common members for both electrically connecting and mechanically holding.

A further object of the invention is to have the lamp holder parts and the supply wire insulated contacts adaptable to the lamp holder in vertical, pendant or horizontal position, which positions are generally used, and also tilted position which will allow dilerent sizes of lamp bulbs as they increase in length and diameter to be a minimum distance from the mounting surface of the wireway.

A further object of the invention is the mounting of the lamp holder screw shell and the center contact on an insulating base in the lamp holder sleeve which simplifies the assembly of the severall positions of the lamp holder.

A further object of the invention is to have ther insulation of the insulated contacts project through holes in the wireway and above the top surface of the wireway engaging in a Window opening in the lamp holder for quickly and easily locating the lamp holder.

A further object of the invention is to have additional screw holding means through the sleeve of the lamp holder for strengthening or reeniorcing the assembly.

The various features of the invention are illustrated and described in the accompanying drawing and specications and are pointed out in the claims. The drawing shows but one position of the lamp-hclder-tilted. The horizontal, pendant and vertical positioned lamp holder details are similar.

In the drawing Figure l is an outline of the side elevation of a lamp-holder tilted, three sizes of lamps and wireway, the inner lamp-holder parts and insulated wire contacts shown dotted.

Figure 2 is a double size cross section lengthwise detailing the electrical connections and mechanical assembly.

Figure 3 is a `double size cross section through a-a in Figure l when looking from back to the iront of the lamp-holder.

Figure 4 is an outline oi' a side elevation of two lamp-holders back to back (twin) showing the assembly detail dotted.

In accordance with Figure l, lamp-holder I is shown in a tilted position of approximately ll 30 degrees for supporting the various sizes of lamps on the top of wireway 2, the wire contacts 3 shown dotted are within the wireway, and additional holding screw 4.

Figure 2 the threaded lamp-holder shell 5 and the center contact 6 are supported on an insulating base 'l by screw means 8 contacting 5 and E passing through insulating base 'l and threaded into the electrical connecting and holding members 9. Common members 9 at their lower end are bent at an angle to receive the screw means I!! which Contact and support the insulated contacts 3. Screw means l0 passes through insulating bushing Il which projects through an opening in the wireway 2 and above the top of the wireway into a window opening in the side of insulating sleeve I4. The nut l2 engages the screw 4 which passes through the sleeve I and a hole in the top of wireway 2 for strengthening or reenforcing the mechanical assembly of screws I0 which hold supply wire insulated contacts 3 through bushings Il electrically connecting members 9. The inturned flange I3 in sleeve Ul allows the edge of insulating base 'l to securely seat when the screws 8 draw the electrical connecting members 9 against the flange I3.

In Figure 3 the double size cross section view looking back to front through a-a of Figure 1 shows the insulated. wiring contacts 3 held by screws in through insulating bushings Il which pass through openings or holes in wireway 2, the insulating bushings projecting above the top surface of wireway 2 into the window openings of insulated sleeve I4 for locating the lamp-holder. The screws il) are threaded into the lower part of the electrical connecting members 9, which members are held in assembly against the back of inturned flange I3 by screws 8 through the insulating base 1 carrying the shell and center contact held against the front of flange i3.

Figure 4 shows dotted the internal parts of the lamp-holder, the wireway 2 and the wire contacts 3 the same as in Figures l, 2 and 3 with but one change,-the U shape electrical connecting members l5 take the place of th-e electrical connecting members 9 in Figures 2 and 3. When screw means 8 of both lamp-holders engage in the U shape current carrying and holding members l5, the lamp-holder shells and center contacts are held back to back and complete the assembly of a twin lamp-holder; the insulated wire contacts 3 in wireway 2 in Figure 4 are the same as detailed in Figures 2 and 3.

The current carrying and holding members 9 and l5 are serving a common purpose for electrically and mechanically assembling the lampholder parts by screws 8 and also electrically connecting and holding the supply wire insulated contacts 3 on the other side of the wireway by screws Il] passing through the insulated bushed holes in the wir-eway. Added holding' means are given the assembly by screw l passing through the lamp-holder sleeve and wireway.

The drawing shows the added holding means which is not always necessary as the common members for both electrically connecting and mechanically holding are strong enough for complete assembly. The drawing shows the inturned flange adjacent one end of the outside sleeve against which is seated and clamped the insulating base carrying the lamp screw shell and center contact. This inturned flange could be omitted andthe common members for both electrically contacting and mechanically holding could themselves support the insulating base carrying the lamp screw shell and center contacts, while another construction could have the insulating base an integral part o-f the outside sleeve and again 5 the lamp screw shell and center contacts could be held by the common members for both electrically connecting and mechanically holding the assembly.

I claim:

l. A combination of a wireway a lamp-holder on oneside of said wireway, supply wire insulated contacts on the other side of said wireway, common electrical current carrying and holding members, and additional holding means through the lamp holder; the lamp holder comprising an outer insulating sleeve with inturned flange adjacent to one end and a. window opening on one side of saidsleeve, a screw shell lamp contact, a center lamp contact, an insulating base carrying both 79 said contacts seated on one side of the flange,

means connecting both contacts through insulating base lengaging common electrical current carrying and holding members on the other side of said flange, a wireway with openings through 7,5 which pass projections of the insulation of said insulated contacts, said projections extending above the wireway into a window opening in said sleeve for locating said lamp-holder to register means connecting the said insulated contacts and engaging the common electrical current carrying and holding members for rigid assembly of the lamp-holder, the wireway and insulated wir-e contacts, said additional holding means passing through the sleeve and the wireway.

2. A combination of a wireway a lamp-holder on one side of said wireway, supply wire insulated contacts on the other side or" said wireway, and common electrical current carrying and holding members; the lamp-holder comprising an outer insulating sleeve with an inturned flange adjacent to one end and a window opening on one side of said sleeve, a screw shell lamp contact, a center lamp contact, an insulating base carrying both said contacts seated o-n one side of the ange, means connecting both contacts through the insulating base engaging common electrical current carrying and holding members on the other side of said ilange, a wireway with openings through which pass the projectionsI of the insulation of said contacts, said projections; eX- tending above the wireway into the window opening in said sleeve for locating said lamp-holder to register means connecting the said insulated contacts and engaging the common electrical current carrying and holding members for rigid assembly of the lamp holder, the wireway and the insulated contacts.

3. A combination of a wireway a lamp-holder on one side of said wireway, supply wire insulated contacts on the other side of the wireway, the lamp-holder comprising an outer sleeve having an inwardly projecting flange adjacent to one end, a current carrying screw shell for holding a lamp and serving as one of the contacts, said screw shell having an insulation base which carries the other contact, said insulation base seating against one side of the inwardly projecting flange of the outer sleeve, current carrying means projecting through the insulation base of the lamp-holder shell and engaging also engaging current supply members on the other side of inwardly projecting flange and securing them in position against the inwardly projecting ange whereby the lamp-holder assembly is secured in operative relation, the insulated contacts on the other side of the wireway have connecting means passing through the wireway and engaging with the current supply members of the lamp-holder whereby the lampholder, the wireway and the insulated contacts j are in rigid assembly and operating relation.

4. A lamp-holder comprising an outer sleeve having an inwardly projecting flange adjacent to one end, a current carrying screw shell for holding a lamp and serving as one of the contacts, saidf screw shell having an insulation base which carries the other contact, said insulating base seated against one side of the inwardly projecting flange of the outer sleeve, current carrying means projecting through the insulation base of the lampholder shell engaging its contacts and also engaging current carrying members on the other side of the inwardly projecting flange and securing them in position against the inturned ange whereby the lamp holder assembly is secured in operative relation.

5. A lamp-holder assembly comprising a plurality of outer insulating sleeves each having an inwardly projecting flange adjacent to one end, an inner current carrying screw shell for holding the contacts and Cil a lamp and serving as one of the contacts, said shell having an insulation base which carries the center lamp contact and seating against one side of the inwardly projecting iiange of the said insulation sleeve, current carrying means projecting through the insulation base of the screw shell and the center contact and engaging with its contacts and also engaging current carrying members at the other side of the inwardly projecting i'lange whereby the lamp-holders are secured in operative relation with each other and to the common current supply members.

6. The combination of an electric lamp-holder as distinguished in claim 4 with a supply wireway, supply wire contact means, insulated from but passing through the wireway and engaging with the current carrying members of the lamp-holder and securing the latter to the wireway.

7. A lamp holder comprising a plurality of outer insulating sleeves, each having an insulating base, an inner screw shell and acenter contact supported on said insulating base, and common members for electrically connecting and mechanically holding the assembly, said common members providing the further means for electrical connection and mechanical holding of the lamp-holder in operating position,

8. The combination of a wireway, supply wire insulated contacts and a lamp holder, said lampholder comprising a plurality of outer insulating sleeves each having an inner screw shell and a center contact supported on an insulating base and common means for electrically connecting and mechanically holding the lamp-holder assembly, said common means also electrically connecting and holding the insulated contacts on one side of the wireway to the lamp holder on lating sleeve, an insulating base, an inner screw shell and center lamp contacts supported on 5 said insulating base and electrical current carrying and mechanical holding common members; means projecting through the insulating base connecting said shell and center lamp contacts by engaging said electrical current carrying and 1 mechanically holding common members whereby the said lamp-holder is held in assembly, the said lamp-holder at its base portion being surfaced at an angle to a plane through the axis of the lamp-holder whereby the lamp-holder sets tilted 1 from a horizontal position, the said common members being means for holding the said lamp holder in operating tilted position.

10. A two part lamp-holder and a support with openings therethrough, one part of the lampholder on one side of the support comprising the lamp contacts, an insulating sleeve, common members recessed in the base of the insulating sleeve and means engaging the common members holding the one part assembled; the other part 2 of the lamp-holder on the other side of thesupport comprising insulated contacts for supplywires with projections of the insulation of the said insulated contacts passing through and above the openings in the support and into the recess of said base of 3 the insulating sleeve to register additional means connecting the said insulated contacts and engaging the common members for electrically connecting and mechanically holding the two part lamp-holder and support in operating relation. 3

HENRY DOLIER, Jn. 

